Can the Windows controller properties dialogue display multiple hats?
I haven't seen much of a variation in the Windows joystick/gamepad properties window. Here is what it looks like with my PowerA controller plugged in:
Despite having two independent analog thumb sticks, there is only a single crosshair display. The other two "axes" are instead displayed as the "Z Axis" and "Z Rotation". The D-pad maps to the PoV hat.
I think that instead of additional crosshair displays, it just adds more little gradient bars. But what if there are multiple hats? Do they get mapped as buttons?
Best Answer
Can the Windows controller properties dialogue display multiple hats?
It can certainly display multiple crosshairs.
As a specific example of the principles explained in Nolonar's answer
I have a Speedlink Strike NX which has a mode button that can be used to switch between DirectInput and XInput.
This is how it appears in the properties/calibration dialogue:
First in it's normal DirectInput mode:
(crosshairs for both analog thumb-sticks. Pov is the D-Pad, everything else is buttons)
Secondly in it's alternate XInput mode:
(Right thumbstick is X,Y-rotation bars. L2 & R2 analogue triggers are Z-axis 0-50% and 50-100%)
So yes, The properties dialogue in Windows 10 can display two crosshairs displays. Whether it does depends in part on which input modes the controller supports.
According to Wikipedia
XInput supports maximum of 4 axes, 10 buttons, 2 triggers and 8-direction digital pad per controller, compared to DirectInput's support for 8 axes, 128 buttons, and full-range POV.
I've not seen a properties dialogue with more than one Pov Hat element.
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